Memories are the sweetest hiding place.....
by Neongene
Summary: After a trainer releases a pokemon he deals with the emotions his decision has brought him. He faces the pain of giving up a dear friend and struggles to find sollace in his words and in his dispair. short, sad, R+R


Memories are the sweetest hiding place

**_Memories are the sweetest hiding place_**

_ _

The mud slopped under the feet of a young boy as he ran toward Ilex forest.The tears streaming from his eyes were hidden from the raindrops running down his cheeks.He fell down to the muddy ground and wept, pounding the wet earth with his fist.The torrent flooding of emotions which ran threw him were like a surreal dagger in his heart.The anguish became to much as the hot salty tears dripped into his open mouth.His wailing drowned out the sound of water running past a nearby stream.The young boy crawled to the edge of the river.His tears collected on the tip of his nose and dropped into the fast moving water.He leaned over and looked at his reflection.The rain distorted the view and could not clearly see his face.He gently rolled over and stared to the dark cloudy sky above him.The rain cascaded down and sank into his already wet clothes.He voluntary shivered as he curled into a ball.His bloodshot eyes hovered over the tops of his knees as he stared out into the forest.He silently wept by the river wishing the pain would stop, would go away, would drain from his mind and leave him alone.He screamed out into the night, warning the darkness to let him wallow in his despair alone.The memories came back to him, the good times they had and the battles they had won.Each memory was more painful then the next as the tears flowed with more intensity.

('How?……… could I have known the pain would be this bad?I know it was for the best but why must I feel this way? Why?Our time together was as filling as entire lifetime….but as short as a single day…………..what made me do this?……we were happy…..we were a great team….and something inside told me to split us up……….to toss him away like he was nothing……but he was something…..to me.He was my pokemon, my partner……my best friend……how could I? How?!After so many years………….just say goodbye?How much I want to change all this but I know it is impossible…..this is what is right for him…..he needs to be in the wild……he needs to be with his kind….his kind…..what is his kind…….what is my kind?The word has lost all meaning.***Sigh***I knew the first day I got him we would have to say goodbye someday……..but why so soon!All I wanted to do together……I'll never be able……to think…..we'll never have another battle….another gym match………another….. adventure……………..') 

His thoughts upset him more as he wiped the tears from his face. 

('Did I really need to let him go?Of course I did…all the battles were wearing him down and I'm positive he was getting tired of hanging around me………..*sigh* I remember our first battle…it was against another rookie…..he had a Charmander………it was stronger then I expected…..he was hurt so bad…..it was my fault…..I should have trained him harder…..made him stronger…….we suffered many defeats and at times I would take out my frustration on him……I was a fool…it was more my mistake than his….giving the wrong commands.Although we did overcome odds and were successful in most battle….it is the losses that stick out in my mind the most….but I never truly blamed him, I blamed my self.I didn't try hard enough……..I'm sorry……..') 

the rain dwindled and soon stopped but the large gray clouds remained.He stared into the open plains. 

('we shared so many great times together……so many times we thwarted team rocket……..we met so many people together…through all the times of trouble that brought us closer together……and now with just 1 word….i threw that all away……'goodbye'…..what a stupid word….whats so _good_ about it?All it does iscover up the feeling of anguish……but I don't think badbye is any better…….Its been an hour and I miss him already…..can he go on without me?can I?………….') 

the clouds moved across the horizon which finally revealed small whips of blue skybetween the openings.The tears finally stopped as he stared out into the calm simplicities of the river and forest. 

('I know it will be tough but there will be other pokemon, they'll become my friends and one day I'll have to say goodbye to them, tis the spoils of being a pokemon trainer……..i know deep in my heart I made the right decision…..he is free now, free to live his life and not take commands by me……we'll still be friends…in our hearts.The day may come were we may meet again…..and I know we will……we'll always be friends as long as we remember.And if the day comes when you'll forget about me……I'll never forget about you……….goodbye….my friend….good luck………..) 

Tears welled in his eyes once more, but they were different.He didn't feel the emptiness he once felt.He didn't feel the sadness, the anguish, he felt satisfaction and in a sense he was happy.Happy for his friend, happy for his decision, and happy knowing the fact they would one day run into each other again.He decided not to dwell on his decisions in the past but look forward to opportunities in the future.True he missed his friend, but knowing there would always be friends gave him new strength to continue on, continue with his journey, to continue his dream. 

He walked along the soggy path to make his way back to his friends.A verse of a song he had once heard at the beginning of his journey played in his mind as he sang it while walking. 

"**_Say good bye to yesterday …that's so far away….. _**

**_Memories are always the sweetest hiding place….._**

**_But cut them away…. _**

**_And live for tomorrow…… as well as today…………_**" 

The End

**Authors notes**:This got me over my writers block, I was halfway through 'horror flick' and part 6 of 'between a rock and a hard place'when I suddenly stopped.I hadn't written anything for a week.Luckily this inspiration hit.My artistic medium came from the fact that you don't know who the boy is or the pokemon he was talking about.I wanted you to use you own imagination and fill in the rest.I love stories where you don't know anything but this characters feelings.Is it Ash?Is he talking about pikachu? Or anther pokemon, or some other trainer completely?That is your choice.This is the first fic for me that didn't go over 5000 words.I hope it made you think, or cry or ask. 

Just remember If our thoughts and hopes are elsewhere, it is impossible to set our faces steadily toward the work required of us. 

Neongene 

Please R+R


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